We’re back here at Bruguru.com with 2016, the year of German beer, already in progress. As you likely know by now, 2016 is the 500^th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law, and so we’re celebrating by drinking as much German beer as we can get our hands on. One interesting beer I came across at Taco Mac last spring was Radeberger Zwickelbier, a draft-only specialty that got me thinking of my fondness for Radeberger Pilsner, the beer I’m here to tell you about today.

I’ve been drinking Radeberger Pilsner for many, many years, but for whatever reason I’ve never jotted down my thoughts about it before. That changes today. The beer is made by the Radeberger Brauerei in Radeberg, located in the German state of Sachsen close to the Czech border. The brewery dates back to 1872 and is a private concern not owned by a conglomerate as many breweries are today. Radeberger Pilsner is the only beer they make (the Zwickelbier is merely an unfiltered version of same).

From the label:

The Master Brewers of Radeberger Pilsner have been dedicated to crafting nothing but this unparalleled well balanced German Pilsner ever since it was first brewed in the town of Radeberg in 1872. A tradition handed down over the generations to the present day. Its elegant texture has made Radeberger Pilsner one of the finest and most distinguished Premium Pilsners around the world.  

Radeberger Pilsner has an alcohol content of 4.8% by volume and is very reasonably priced at $8.99 a six-pack of 11.2 ounce bottles. It gets low marks on Ratebeer.com, which is why I almost never use crowdsourcing sites like Ratebeer.com. 44 for style and 20 overall. Really folks? You don’t know what you’re talking about. Make sure to drink it fresh and kept cold (my bottle is marked Enjoy the best taste before end 12/2016 and I drank it on June 30^th, 2016).

Radeberger Pilsner pours to a pale golden color with a thick foamy head and a crisp biscuit malty nose. Taking a sip, the beer bursts with fresh biscuity, bready malt followed by delightfully herbal grassy earthy aroma hops. The finish is long, dry and quite bitter-an excellent German style Pils.

It’s not complex and won’t hit you over the head with a ton of alcohol, and perhaps that’s why the beer geeks don’t like it. It is not intended to be those things however. It’s meant to be a simple, drinkable pilsner beer showcasing malt and hop, and it does those things exceptionally well. Bravo, Radeberger. You’re a wonderful beer indeed, and you know I’ll be drinking you again.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 



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